Snow
by Queen Emily the Diligent
Summary: Kenji asks his father to come play with him in the snow, but Kenshin hates the snow. What'll Kenji do? One-shot


**I do not own Rurouni Kenshin. Enough said.**

It was snowing.

Inwardly, Kenshin cringed. It brought back too many horrible memories. When he wandered, he had tried to keep out of it as much as he could. But many days he had gotten stuck in it and had been haunted by his memories. The cold would seep in and with it would come the nightmares. Many times he would relive Tomoe's death just by looking at the snow.

Snow tainted with blood.

When he came to the dojo, he tried to hide his hate of it, but he knew Kaoru had noticed. She always noticed.

_"Are you all right, Kenshin?" Kaoru asked, turning over to face him on their futon. He simply looked at his wife, and she lifted her hand to stroke his cheek. "You've been down recently. Is anything wrong? Will you tell me?"_

_ Kenshin couldn't resist her. He swallowed, a lump forming in his throat. "T…Tomoe died when it snowed. The cold and snow bring back too many memories, that It does." He ducked his head to hide the tears._

_ Kaoru said nothing. She only wrapped her arms around him, pulling him closer. _

_ Kenshin buried his face in her chest, sensing her warmth, which chased the cold away. "Thank you," he said in a choked voice._

Kaoru helped keep the cold away and with it the nightmares, but that did not mean he had gotten over his hate of the wretched substance.

"Tou-san!"

Five-year-old Kenji ran to his father, who was putting logs in the fireplace to warm the dojo. Kenshin looked up to see his son's excited face and smiled.

"Hai, Kenji?"

"Come play in the snow with me!"

Kenshin froze slightly, which went unnoticed by Kenji, who continued begging. "Please, Tou-san? Kaa-san has to take care of Kaori, and Kaa-san says I can't go out by myself. So, please?"

Kenshin looked into his son's eyes and could not deny him, even for his hate of snow. "All right, Kenji," he said, putting a smile on his face, but a twinge of reluctance hung in the answer.

"Yatta!" Kenji cried happily. He rushed out of the room and soon appeared again with warm gis and scarves. "Here's yours, Tou-san!" he said, handing Kenshin his set.

Kenshin put them on and proceeded to help Kenji with his scarf. Kenji grabbed his father's hand and pulled him to the outside and into the white world.

Kenji let go of Kenshin's hand at the sight of the snow and immediately started tromping around. Suddenly, he noticed his father was not joining in.

"Tou-san?" Kenji looked at Kenshin curiously. "What's wrong?"

At this time, Kaoru, holding their few-months-old daughter, Kaori, came out of the dojo and saw Kenshin's hesitation. She suddenly realized her mistake in telling Kenji to ask his father to come. She was about to tell Kenji to come inside, when Kenshin spoke.

"I'm sorry, Kenji. I've never really played in the snow, that I haven't."

Kenji stared at his father in childish shock. "NANI? What do you mean, Tou-san? How could you have never played in snow?" He grabbed Kenshin's hand. "Come on, I'll teach you."

Kaoru had to smile as she watched her son pull her husband deeper into the whiteness.

"Stay right here, Tou-san," Kenji instructed, leaving Kenshin in the middle of the yard.

Uncomfortable with his surroundings, Kenshin turned to look at his wife in confusion. "What's he do – ORO!" Kenshin felt a cold, wet substance on his face. He lifted his hand to wipe it off, only to see Kenji laughing.

"Got you, Tou-san!" He then proceeded to pummel Kenshin with more snowballs.

"OROOOO!" Kenshin looked at Kaoru, who was giggling, for help. She paused enough to tell him to throw some back at Kenji.

Kenshin's eyes widened. "I don't want to hurt him!" Blood and snow clashed in his mind.

Kenji frowned. "Tou-san, you're not throwing any snowballs. And, I'm not a baby! I can handle it!"

Kenshin smiled at his son. "I guess not if you can sneak a snowball at me." With that, Kenshin bent down, grabbed some snow, and flung some at Kenji.

Kenji dodged it. "Haha! Missed me, Tou – ORO!" Kenshin's next snowball hit him in face.

Kenshin cringed, fearful that blood would stain the snow, but that moment he saw his son, completely fine, running to him, tossing more snowballs. Kenshin dodged them and thus began a wild chase. Kaoru laughed as she entered back into the dojo to keep Kaori out of the cold, leaving the two to their fun.

Eventually, Kenji jumped on his father bringing him down into the snow. "I win, Tou-san!" he cried, lying on Kenshin's chest.

As Kenshin looked up into his son's laughing and smiling face, his cheeks rosy from the cold, the snow beneath him did not seem so cold. Maybe he could learn to appreciate it.

He smiled up at Kenji. "Hai, Kenji, that you did."

**It was just a simple little one-shot, but I enjoyed it. I added a daughter in this story, which I kind of wish I put in HBF, but oh well. I might edit it.**

**But yes, more Kenji/Kenshin cuteness. LOVE!**


End file.
